Project Information Literacy

Project Information Literacy (PIL) is a research institute that conducts national, ongoing scholarly studies on how early adults find and use information as they progress through, and beyond, their higher education years.

Organization

Based in California's San Francisco Bay Area, Project Information Literacy, Inc. (PIL) is a public benefit 501(c)(3) nonprofit.[1] Dr. Alison J. Head, the Executive Director and Lead Researcher, is a recognized expert in the field of information literacy research.[2] [3] PIL began in 2008 as a partnership with the University of Washington Information School with Dr. Head and Dr. Michael Eisenberg, Dean Emeritus and Professor at the school, as co-directors.[4] Both Dr. Head and Dr. Eisenberg have extensive experience conducting and publishing research on information literacy and the information-seeking behavior of Internet users. [5] [6] [7] In 2012, PIL became a nonprofit with Dr. Head as sole director. In 2016 PIL ended its formal relationship with the Information School.[4]

Work

PIL's studies have been conducted using small teams of researchers drawn from libraries and schools of library and information science across the United States.[8] To date, 20,987 early adults have participated in PIL studies. The institutional sample for PIL studies consists of 93 public and private colleges, universities, and community colleges, as well as 34 high schools located in the U.S. A 2016 study included data from Canadian institutions.[9]

PIL has worked with members of a sample of 260 institutions.[8][10] Partners include four-year private and public universities and colleges in the U.S. including Harvard College, The Ohio State University, University of Texas at Austin, University of Michigan, The University of Washington, DePaul University, Oklahoma State University, University of Alaska, Wellesley College and numerous community colleges. Each PIL study undergoes ethical review at the participating institutions and at the host institution where the study is based.[11] (p. 80) Studies use a mixed-methods approach. PIL has conducted student surveys, focus groups, content analysis of research handouts, extensive interviews, and computational analysis of social media interactions. Final reports include summaries of key findings, in-depth data, and recommendations. All reports are Open Access, available from the PIL website at no charge.

PIL has produced 11 major research reports, investigating the experiences of college students and recent graduates as they interact with information for school, for life, for work, and most recently, for engaging with the news.[10] In 2019, PIL examined the awareness and concerns of college students in the age of algorithms, and released the report in January, 2020.[12] The study was supported by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, the Harvard Graduate School of Education, Electronic Research and Libraries (ER&L), a leading library conference,[13] and the School of Library and Information Science at the University of South Carolina.[12] In October 2018, PIL released the findings of a study of students' news engagement practices in the “post-truth” era,[14] sponsored by the Knight Foundation and the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL), a division of the American Library Association.[15][16] Another project, The Reading List for Life, leverages PIL’s research findings to develop a web application for adult learners in public libraries, and is a collaboration between PIL,[17] The Open Syllabus Project at Columbia University, and the metaLAB@Harvard.In 2016, PIL published a study, funded by the Information School at The University of Washington, that examined library spaces and included data from interviews with architects and library leaders.[9]

PIL's research results have been disseminated through the reports posted on its open access website, numerous articles, conference presentations, webcasts, podcasts, and videos on its YouTube channel. PIL is recognized as an important source of longitudinal information on the information behaviors of students.[18][19][20][21][22][23] As Barbara Fister notes, “[t]his is hands-down the most important long-term, multi-institutional research project ever launched on how students use information for school and beyond.” [24] PIL reports are frequently cited in scholarly articles and linked from academic library webpages about information literacy,[25][26] used in workshops for faculty,[27] and in student learning.[28] The studies provide information about students’ and graduates’ information seeking strategies through the lens of the student experience across multiple institutional sites[26] in the U.S. and are frequently reported on in The Chronicle of Higher Education, Inside Higher Education, Education Week, and Library Journal.[29]

PIL has created a series of Smart Talk interviews[30] with leading voices related to its core purpose of understanding how early adults use information and technology to learn. Interviewees include: Ken Bain, Char Booth, Nicholas Carr, Mike Caulfield, David Conley, Cathy Davidson, Katie Davis, Dale Dougherty, Sari Feldman, Barbara Fister, Eric Gordon, Renee Hobbs, Rebecca Moore Howard, Sandra Jamieson, Kyle Jones, Joan Lippincott, Robert Lue, Andrea Lunsford, P. Takis Metaxas, Peter Morville, John Palfrey, Russell Poldrack, Lee Rainie, Howard Rheingold, Dan Rothstein, Jeffrey Schnapp, Howie Schneider, Zach Sims, Peter Suber, Shyam Sundar, S. Craig Watkins, David Weinberger, and Mary-Ann Winkelmes.

PIL hosts an annual fellowship for emerging researchers in information literacy, and runs a visiting scholar research program, with sites including the University of Nebraska—Lincoln, Purdue University,[3] and the University of Pittsburgh University Library System.

Funding

PIL has received funding from major granting organizations, companies and institutions[31][32]

Bibliography

Research reports

All reports produced by PIL are open access under the CC-BY-NC license; many include open access data sets.

Peer-reviewed articles

Proceedings
  • Head, A.J. (2013). Project Information Literacy: What can be learned about the information-seeking behavior of today's college students? Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) Annual Conference Proceedings. Chicago: American Library Association. Retrieved October 15, 2017 from http://www.projectinfolit.org/uploads/2/7/5/4/27541717/head_project.pdf

Opinion and editorials
gollark: That would suggest that you should try and cause self-belief by rapidly exposing people to ridiculous amounts of incompetence somehow.
gollark: And something something Berkson's paradox.
gollark: I imagine that you end up selecting for similar-to-you-in-some-way/socially adept people.
gollark: That sounds bad, actually.
gollark: There's this weird mental disease where people stop believing they exist.

See also

References
  1. State of California, Franchise Tax Board. (2017). Exempt organizations list. Retrieved October 11, 2017 from https://www.ftb.ca.gov/businesses/Exempt-organizations/Exempt_Organizations4.pdf
  2. Wihbey, J. (Jan. 26, 2012). Research chat: Information scientist Alison Head on student habits. Journalist's Resource: A Research Portal and Curated Database, January 26, 2012 Retrieved October 11, 2017 from http://journalistsresource.org/reference/research/research-chat-information-scientist-alison-head
  3. Purdue Libraries selected as 2017-18 site for Project Information Literacy Visiting Research Scholar Program. (July 26th, 2017). Purdue Libraries News. Retrieved October 11, 2017 from http://blogs.lib.purdue.edu/news/2017/07/26/pil-visiting-scholar/
  4. Project Information Literacy.(2017). What is the history of PIL? Retrieved October 11, 2017 from http://www.projectinfolit.org/pil-faq.html#FAQ5
  5. Roseth, B. (Oct. 8, 1998). New director leads library school into Information Age. University Week. Retrieved October 11, 2017 from http://faculty.washington.edu/mbe/univweek.htm
  6. Information School, University of Washington. (n.d.). Michael Eisenberg. iSchool Directory. Retrieved October 11, 2017 from https://ischool.uw.edu/people/faculty/profile/mbe
  7. UC Irvine Faculty Contribute to Project Information Literacy. (Spring, 2010). UCI Libraries Update: a Newsletter for Faculty, 28(2) Retrieved October 11, 2017 from http://update.lib.uci.edu/spring10/spring10-3.html
  8. Project Information Literacy.(2017) How does PIL collect data? Retrieved September 19, 2017 from http://www.projectinfolit.org/pil-faq.html#FAQ4
  9. Head, A.J. (2016). Planning and designing academic library learning spaces: Expert perspectives of architects, librarians, and library consultants. Retrieved October 6, 2017 from http://www.projectinfolit.org/uploads/2/7/5/4/27541717/pil_libspace_report_12_6_16.pdf
  10. See individual reports for details of participating institutions, ethics approvals, and methods for each study
  11. Head, A.J. (2016). Staying smart: How today's graduates continue to learn once they complete college. Retrieved October 6, 2017 from http://www.projectinfolit.org/uploads/2/7/5/4/27541717/staying_smart_pil_1_5_2016b_fullreport.pdf
  12. Head, A.J., Fister, B., & MacMillan, M. (2020). Information Literacy in the Age of Algorithms: Student Experiences with News and Information, and the Need for Change. Project Information Literacy Research Institute. Retrieved January 14, 2020 from https://www.projectinfolit.org/uploads/2/7/5/4/27541717/algoreport.pdf
  13. Alison Head Joins Gutman Library as Visiting Scholar. Monroe C. Gutman Library. Retrieved January 14, 2020 from https://library.harvard.edu/about/news/2019-05-01/alison-head-joins-gutman-library-visiting-scholar
  14. Head, A.J., Wihbey, J., Metaxas, P. Takis, MacMillan, M., & Dan Cohen, D. (2018). How Students Engage with News: Five Takeaways for Educators, Journalists, and Librarians. Project Information Literacy Research Institute. Retrieved October 19, 2018 from http://www.projectinfolit.org/uploads/2/7/5/4/27541717/newsreport.pdf
  15. Association of College and Research Libraries. (Oct. 24, 2017). ACRL sponsors Project Information Literacy news study. Retrieved October 24, 2017 from http://www.acrl.ala.org/acrlinsider/archives/14628
  16. Project Information Literacy. (2017). National study on young adults' news consumption launched. Retrieved October 23, 2017 from http://www.projectinfolit.org/uploads/2/7/5/4/27541717/release.pdf
  17. Reading list for life. (2017). Retrieved October 6, 2017 from http://readinglistforlife.org/
  18. Bell, S. (May 15, 2013). Studying the studies: The big four," Library Journal. Retrieved October 11, 2017 from http://lj.libraryjournal.com/2013/05/opinion/steven-bell/studying-the-studies-from-the-bell-tower/
  19. laralu510.(May 31, 2011). Project Information Literacy’s new report. It’s academic: The official blog of the Pennsylvania Library Association's College & Research Division. Retrieved October 11, 2017 from https://crdpala.org/2011/05/31/pilnewreport/
  20. Davidshumaker. (Dec. 18, 2013) First-year college students, Project Information Literacy, and embedded librarianship. The Embedded librarian: Exploring new, embedded roles for librarians in organizations of all types. Retrieved October 11, 2017 from https://embeddedlibrarian.com/2013/12/18/first-year-college-students-project-information-literacy-and-embedded-librarianship/
  21. Richard J. Robinson Memorial Library @ Murdock Middle School and Murdock High School. (n.d.). Teachers’ lounge. Retrieved October 11, 2017 from http://www.mmhslibrary.org/teachers-lounge.html
  22. Juskiewicz, S. & Cote, C. (2014). Teaching information literacy to undergraduate students: Reflecting on the past, present and future of library instruction. Pacific Northwest Library Association Quarterly, 79(1). Retrieved October 11, 2017 from http://www.pnla.org/assets/Quarterly/fall_2014_pq_full_issue__.pdf Convenience citation http://digitalcommons.mtech.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1002&context=library_scholarship
  23. LaGuardia, C.(Aug. 6, 2015). College graduates, critical thinking, and information strategies: Not dead yet. Library Journal. Retrieved October 11, 2017 from http://lj.libraryjournal.com/2015/08/opinion/not-dead-yet/college-graduates-critical-thinking-and-information-strategies/
  24. Fister, B. (Jan. 7, 2016). Information literacy and recent graduates: New from PIL. Barbara Fister, Inside Higher Education. Retrieved October 11, 2017 from https://www.insidehighered.com/blogs/library-babel-fish/information-literacy-and-recent-graduates-new-pil
  25. See for example guides on pages at the University of Toronto http://guides.library.utoronto.ca/fac-lib-collab/IL, Loyola Marymount University http://libguides.lmu.edu/c.php?g=323870&p=2169380, Oglethorpe University http://libraryguides.oglethorpe.edu/content.php?pid=623678&sid=5158167, and Madison College http://libguides.madisoncollege.edu/InfoLitStudents/CollegeLevel
  26. Deitering, A.M. (Jul. 28, 2016). Understanding student needs [library guide for faculty]. Retrieved October 11, 2017 from http://guides.library.oregonstate.edu/c.php?g=286221&p=1906686
  27. Maricopa Community College.(2016). Designing research assignment handouts: Essential elements to promote student success. Retrieved October 11, 2017 from https://learn.maricopa.edu/courses/753426/pages/lesson-1-read-project-information-literacys-report-on-research-assignment-handouts
  28. Houtman, E. (2015). Mind-blowing:" Fostering self-regulated learning in information literacy instruction. Communications in Information Literacy, 9(1), 6-18. Retrieved October 11, 2017 from http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1089286.pdf
  29. Project Information Literacy. (2017). Publications. Retrieved September 19, 2017 from http://www.projectinfolit.org/publications.html
  30. Project Information Literacy. 2017. Smart talks. Retrieved September 19, 2017 from http://www.projectinfolit.org/smart-talks.html
  31. Information School, University of Washington. (n.d.) Farewell Mike Eisenberg. Retrieved October 10, 2017 from http://byemike.ischool.uw.edu/history/
  32. Project Information Literacy. (2017). [Home page]. Retrieved October 6, 2017 from http://www.projectinfolit.org/
  33. Head, A. J. (June 26, 2013). Mismatch between graduates’ information skills and employers' needs. IMLS UpNext. Retrieved October 5, 2017 from https://www.imls.gov/news-events/upnext-blog/2013/06/mismatch-between-graduates%E2%80%99-information-skills-and-employers-needs
  34. Head, A.J & Eisenberg, M. (Nov. 4, 2011). Interesting news from Project Information Literacy. forum: what is a reader. Retrieved October 5, 2017 from https://web.stanford.edu/group/whatisareader/cgi-bin/wordpress/?p=221
  35. The Berkman Center for Internet and Society at Harvard University. 2012. Annual report for the academic year 2011-2012.Retrieved October 5, 2017 from http://www.law.harvard.edu/programs/reports/2012_1_berkman.pdf
  36. Information School, University of Washington. (2017). Research Areas Information Literacy. Retrieved October 5, 2017 from https://ischool.uw.edu/research/areas/information-literacy
  37. University of Washington. (Oct. 13, 2011). College students limit technology use during crunch time. ScienceDaily. Retrieved October 5, 2017 from https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111013113820.htm.
  38. Proquest. (Jan. 14, 2010). ProQuest survey shows libraries are turning up the heat on marketing and outreach to protect budgets. Retrieved October 5, 2017 from http://www.proquest.com/about/news/2010/ProQuest-Survey-Shows-Libraries-Turning-Up-the-Heat-on-Marketing-and-Outreach.html

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